Why Is My Scout Camera Not Recording Continuously?
While motion-activated clips are useful, sometimes you need the complete picture that only continuous video recording (CVR) can provide. If you've noticed gaps in your Scout camera's timeline or realised it's only saving short clips, you might be wondering why the 24/7 recording isn't working as expected.
This guide will explain the common reasons why your Scout camera may not be recording continuously and provide clear troubleshooting steps to help you enable this important feature, assuming your hardware and plan support it.
Understanding the Symptoms
Before diving into solutions, let's clarify the signs that CVR isn't active:
- Clip-Based History: Your event history is a list of short, motion-triggered recordings rather than a continuous, scrollable timeline.
- Gaps in Coverage: There are clear gaps in time between recorded events, meaning anything that happened when motion wasn't detected is lost.
- Missing Timeline Feature: The app interface does not show a 24/7 timeline view for you to scrub through.
- "Upgrade to Record" Prompts: You see messages within the Scout app prompting you to upgrade your plan to access more recording features.
- Recording Stops Randomly: The camera seems to record for a while and then stops, leading to an unreliable video history.
Troubleshooting Scout Continuous Recording Issues
Follow these steps to diagnose why 24/7 recording is not working on your Scout system.
1. Verify Your Subscription Plan
This is the most critical first step. Continuous video recording is a premium feature that consumes significant bandwidth and cloud storage. Because of this, it is almost always tied to a paid subscription plan.
- Check Your Plan's Features: Log in to your account on the Scout Alarm website or check your subscription status within the app.
- Review Plan Details: Carefully read the features included in your current plan. Does it explicitly mention "24/7 Recording," "Continuous Video Recording," or "CVR"?
- Upgrade if Necessary: If your plan only includes "motion-activated clips" or a limited number of event recordings, you will need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan that offers CVR to enable the feature.
2. Check Camera-Specific Settings
Even with the correct plan, CVR might need to be enabled on a per-camera basis.
- Open the Scout App: Navigate to the settings for the specific camera you want to enable CVR on.
- Look for Recording Mode: Search for a setting labelled "Recording Mode," "Video Settings," or something similar.
- Select Continuous Recording: If the option is available, you will likely see choices for "On Motion" and "Continuous" or "24/7". Ensure you have selected the continuous recording option. If this option is greyed out or not present, it reinforces the likelihood of it being a subscription issue.
3. Assess Your Wi-Fi Network's Strength and Speed
Continuous recording requires a stable and robust internet connection. The camera needs to constantly upload a video stream to the cloud, which uses a lot of upload bandwidth.
- Run a Speed Test: Use a speed test app on your phone while connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your camera. Pay close attention to the upload speed. Most HD cameras require at least 1-2 Mbps of sustained upload speed per camera to function correctly.
- Check Signal Strength: In your Scout app, there may be a device health or network status section that shows the Wi-Fi signal strength for your camera. If the signal is "Weak" or "Poor," the camera will struggle to maintain a constant stream.
- Reduce Network Congestion: Too many devices streaming, gaming, or downloading on your network can choke your upload bandwidth. Try pausing other high-bandwidth activities to see if the camera's performance improves.
- Move Closer to the Router: If the signal is weak, try moving the camera closer to your Wi-Fi router. If that solves the problem, you may need a Wi-Fi extender or a mesh network system for better coverage.
4. Check for Power and Device Issues
- Stable Power: Ensure the camera is plugged into a reliable power source. Intermittent power loss will, of course, interrupt recording.
- Reboot the Camera: A simple power cycle (unplugging the camera for 60 seconds and plugging it back in) can resolve temporary glitches that might be interfering with the recording process.
- Update Firmware: Check for and install any available firmware updates for your camera through the Scout app. Updates often include performance improvements and bug fixes that can enhance recording stability.
By confirming you have the right plan and a strong network connection, you can overcome the most common hurdles to enabling continuous recording on your Scout security system.